How ‘Country Roads’ has led the St. Louis Blues to the Stanley Cup Finals

Country Roads led Mountaineer offensive lineman Chase Behrndt to West Virginia, and they may have led his hometown St. Louis Blues to the Stanley Cup Final. Since February the Blues have been playing John Denver’s classic anthem at their home games and they have continued that into the Stanley Cups Playoffs. Check out the latest rendition from this past Tuesday at the Western Conference Finals, a game the Blues would go on to win to punch their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final.

So, where does WVU offensive lineman Chase Behrndt come into play? Well the redshirt junior is from the St. Louis area and a fan of the Blues. So at Tuesday’s game at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, the following video of the Mountaineer lineman was played to show the Blues fans that Behrndt and the Mountaineers are happy to share Country Roads with St. Louis and its hockey fans.

Behrndt played in 11 games for the WVU last season, and started in three of those games. Not only has he contributed for the Mountaineers on the field, but he has also passionately immersed himself in the culture and history of the Mountain State. One example of this passion is how he paints his face for games in honor of coal miners. Mountaineer fans may also recognize Behrndt from this video that was taken before the Gold-Blue Spring Game, where he showed some Owen Schmitt-like intensity.

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The #17 West Virginia baseball team started the Big 12 Championship with a win against the Kansas Jayhawks. The fourth-seeded Mountaineers started out hot on the offensive side, with 9 runs in just the first three innings of the game. Things cooled off a little bit after the early 9-1 lead, and WVU came away with 12-8 victory. Junior Nick Snyder started on the mound for the Mountaineers, but it was right-handed pitcher Gabe Kurtzhals who came away with a win for the game, improving the freshman’s record to 2-0.

WVU is now set to take on Texas Tech tomorrow. The Red Raiders gained the #1 seed for the tournament, but the Mountaineers were able to win the regular season series against TTU.

The West Virginia track and field team is taking four Mountaineers to the NCAA East Preliminary Round today in Florida. Madelin Gardner, Shamoya McNeil, Olivia Hill, and Hayley Jackson are the four WVU athletes that are competing in Jacksonville. Gardner, the three-time All-American, has had an incredible season for the Mountaineers. She is currently ranked second in the region in the pole vault and finished second in the event at the Big 12 Outdoor Championship. Gardner also broke her own school record in the pole vault earlier this year.

Former West Virginia men’s soccer player Jack Elliott has signed a new contract with the Philadelphia Union. The Union drafted the defender in 2017 and he has become a key member of their team. Elliott has had instant success in Philadelphia. He was named a finalist for the MLS Rookie of the Year award in 2017, and his role has continued to increase. Elliott has played in 60 regular season games for Philadelphia and has started in 58 of those matches. He has also been on the field for every minute of the 2019 season. Elliott has scored four goals during his career, but more importantly, he has stopped Union opponents from scoring in countless situations. This new contract is a big step for the big man in the back, and is another step in the right direction for what is shaping up to be a great MLS career for Elliott.

That’s it for today. Have any tips, suggestions or requests for what you want to see in Mountaineer Links? Don’t hesitate to leave a comment below or contact us on social media.

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